Charges Against Carolina Basketball’s P.J. Hairston Dropped

Earlier this week it was reported by Inside Carolina that all of the charges stemming from P. J. Hairston’s June arrest have been suspended. This month, Hairston completed a drug assessment and afterwards the state decided not to go further with any legal action against Hairston.

Luckily for Hairston, the state felt that they would be unable to prove that the 9mm handgun and 41 grams of marijuana that they found outside the car that Hairston was driving last month was his.

This is a big break for Hairston in what has been a drama-filled offseason for the UNC guard till this point. Though Hairston is not completely out of hot water yet because of the issue he still has with the rental car he was driving in May that was in the name of Haydn Thomas; a convicted felon.

Hairston’s eligibility for next season remains very much in question because the NCAA has yet to comment on any of the legal troubles that Hairston has had this summer.

P.J. Hairston

The NCAA defines an extra benefit as “any special arrangement by an institution employee or a representative of the institution’s athletic interest to provide a student-athlete a benefit that is not generally available to other students and their relatives and/or friends, or, is not expressly authorized by the NCAA legislation.” The NCAA even goes on to state, “You may not allow prospects of current student-athletes the use of an automobile,”

Based on the information that the NCAA provides about extra benefits, it is hard to see how Hairston won’t be found in violation of at least some NCAA rules. At this point, Hairston might be on damage control to limit whatever punishment he may inevitably receive.